


Your Presence is Present Enough

by Captain_Sh



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Babyfic, Christmas, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Ficlet, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:07:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27194218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Sh/pseuds/Captain_Sh
Summary: Is it too early for a Christmas fic? I clearly think not!This is a little sneak peek into an eventful Christmas morning in the Janeway/Chakotay household.
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 21
Kudos: 56





	Your Presence is Present Enough

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MagdaleneJaneway](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagdaleneJaneway/gifts).



Kathryn Janeway stifled a yawn as, precariously, she carried two steaming mugs of coffee and a cup of tea to the living room.

“Hurry, Mommy!” a young voice bellowed. Kathryn winced - how could such a small child be so loud?

“Quietly please, Millie.” Gretchen Janeway’s voice carried gently down the hall.

“They can hear you from Mars,” Kathryn agreed as she entered the room.

Millie beamed. “Really?”  


Kathryn rolled her eyes and exchanged a glance with Chakotay. It was well understood that Millie was  _his_ daughter when she misbehaved.

Chakotay chuckled lightly as he relieved Kathryn of a couple of mugs and handed one to his mother-in-law. “Ever heard of a tray?” He teased as Kathryn settled beside him on the sofa, tucking herself neatly into his side.

“I’d watch how you speak to the mother of your children,” Kathryn said tiredly. She rested her head on the back of the chair and moved her free hand to massage the small of her back, easing the twinges that had been a regular presence since the early hours of the morning. Noticing her discomfort, Chakotay batted her hand away and took up the task himself. She smiled gratefully at him through half-lidded eyes.

“Baby keep you up?” Her mother asked.

Kathryn scrunched her face and nodded. “Our little Parrises Squares player loves to sleep through the day and party all night,” she grumbled, the affectionate caress she gave her stomach belaying her complaint.

“She takes after her mother, then,” Gretchen said laughing. “I can’t remember the number of times I woke up in the middle of the night to find you at your desk, working away at formulas and equations.”

“She was no different on  _Voyager_ ,” Chakotay agreed, giving his wife a loving squeeze.

“Can we open presents now?” Millie piped up from in front of the large over-bedecked Christmas tree where she was hopping excitedly from one foot to the other. “Please,” she begged, as she skipped across the room to flop dramatically into her mother’s lap. “I’ve been  _so_ good.”

“You certainly have, my Goldenbird,” Kathryn said, brushing Millie’s fringe out of her face. “But I’m afraid you’re going to have to be good a little longer. Didn’t you promise Katie and Eddie that you’d open your presents together?”

“Why did I do that?” Millie let out a sigh and rolled over to sit in her father’s lap. “Daddy?” she asked imploringly from under long auburn eyelashes.

Kathryn scowled and levelled her best glare at Chakotay. He was so enamoured by their child that he capitulated easily to her whims and fancies. Kathryn took a sip of tea and pinched the bridge of her nose. She considered herself quite a strict parent and yet - especially given that the mountain of presents under the tree represented only half of the gifts Mille had received (most from former  Voyagers and well-meaning Admirals) - she was at risk of having an incredibly spoilt four year old on her hands.

To Kathryn’s surprise, Chakotay simply enfolded their daughter tightly into his arms and said softly, but sternly. “A promise is a promise, Millie. How would you feel if they didn’t wait for you?”

Millie stilled and furrowed her brow. Her gaze flicked between the presents and the pictures of her cousins above the mantelpiece. After a long pause she looked up at her father and nodded firmly. “I’ll wait for them.”

“That’s my girl,” Gretchen said proudly, leaning across her armchair to rub her granddaughter’s head affectionately. “You’re going to be a wonderful big sister.”

Millie’s eyes lit up as she turned to her grandmother. “Do you think so?”

“I know so,” Gretchen said, tapping Millie on the nose. “Your baby sister is lucky to have you.”

“Gretchen!” Millie squealed excitedly, as she turned back to her mother and rubbed Kathryn’s belly.

“That’s not very nice, Millie.” Gretchen said. Trying to get Millie’s attention, she missed the panicked look that passed between Kathryn and Chakotay. “It’s not polite to call Grandma by her first name.” 

“Not you, Grandma.” Millie shot her grandmother a confused look, before turning back to her mother. “Good morning!” Millie pressed her lips tightly to Kathryn’s stomach, as she was wont to do every morning. Her greeting was met with a solid kick.

“Baby’s definitely awake,” Kathryn announced, shifting uncomfortably as a hand or foot lodged between her ribcage. 

Encouraged, Millie kissed Kathryn’s stomach again. “Good morning, Baby Gretchen! When are you coming? You’re missing Christmas!”

Realisation dawned and Gretchen looked between Kathryn and Chakotay, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “You mean-?”

Kathryn nodded, reaching for her mother’s hand. “We weren’t going to tell you until she got here, but little ears have clearly been flapping.”

“Oh, sweethearts, thank you, but no child deserves to be lumbered with such an old-fashioned name.”

“Nonsense, Gretchen.” Chakotay smiled at the woman he thought of as a surrogate mother. “We want to name our children after the people who have all the qualities that we wish for them, and our hope is that she is as strong, positive and loving as her grandmother.”

Gretchen beamed at them. “Well, thank you, you two. I’m honoured.”

Millie glanced up from where she was cautioning her sister against making foolish promises with their cousins. “Amelia Earhart was strong and possessive and loving too,” she declared, keen not to be outdone by her  little sister. “And when Mommy met her, that’s when she knew she loved Daddy.”

Kathryn chuckled, partly at the mispronunciation and partly at the  _very_ truncated version of their love story. “Something like that.”

The comms console in the study chimed loudly. Chakotay made to get up, but Gretchen gestured for him to stay seated. “That’ll be Phoebe,” she said standing. “Telling us they’re going to be late.”

Millie sat upright. “What?!” she asked, scrambling after her grandmother. “Late?!”

“I wouldn’t want to be Phoebe right now.” Chakotay grinned as he watched his daughter rush from the room. He turned to Kathryn. “Maybe we should let her open one now, she’s been extraordinarily patient.”

Kathryn grimaced, her fingers gripping his arm tightly. It was only after a couple of deep, steadying breaths that she was able to respond. “Okay,” she relented. “But it’s gonna have to be this one,” she said, placing his hand over the tightening muscles in her abdomen.

“Gretchen!” Chakotay hollered, jumping to his feet and pulling Kathryn up with him. “Tell them to meet us at Starfleet Medical!” 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this late at night when I was feeling a little down and in the need for some warm, fuzzy, family feelings. I’m actually thinking of doing a little Christmas series on how they got here and where they go to next. However, I’m posting this now because you know what they they say about the best laid plans... (besides I really should finish my current multi-chapter story before I plan any more)!
> 
> ETA: Shoutout to MagdaleneJaneway for encouraging me to post this!


End file.
